Wigan draw up coaching shortlist

Wigan Warriors have drawn up a shortlist of targets in the search for their next head coach.

The Warriors are at least part of the way through the process of picking the next man to take over, although the club has not set a deadline by which a decision must be reached, with a club source telling League Express that it is comfortable with its current position.

Wigan have, historically, taken plenty of time in making major coaching decisions. Michael Maguire’s appointment in 2010 was the culmination of a six-month process for the Warriors, and a similar timescale is expected before Ian Lenagan and Kris Radlinski come to a decision on their next appointment.

Lenagan’s previous dealings have seen him hand opportunities to assistant coaches. Both Maguire and Shaun Wane were assistants before being promoted to a senior role, while during his time at Harlequins, Lenagan named Brian McDermott, another assistant, as his head coach. However, despite McDermott’s recent exit from Leeds, he is not believed to be on Wigan’s radar for 2019.

Instead, Wigan’s search is predominantly overseas, with a number of current NRL assistants understood to be on Wigan’s radar. The likes of Jason Demetriou (Brisbane) and David Furner (South Sydney) have been linked with several Super League roles in the past while former Wigan player Adrian Lam also has coaching experience in the NRL, and they are all likely to come into Wigan’s thinking.

But the club is also considering candidates from rugby union. Among those with coaching credentials in the 15-man code are Shaun Edwards, who has been strongly linked with the job, and other former players Andrew Farrell, Paul Deacon and Mick Ford. All four of them have strong connections to Wigan from their playing days.